Would You Use Etsy-Branded Shipping Tape?

by: Writings on the Wall

I read in the forums once that any logo or branding of any kind on a box can void any international shipping insurance, I don't know if that is true?

by: FeelingFroggy

Are they going to pay me to do the advertising that they are to lazy or inept to do for themselves. If not they can go pound sand. And no I don't use that cheap tape from Ebay either.

by: The End

Charge Etsy 15, no wait, 25, no wait, 35% of the transaction Every time.
See how They like it.
DO IT !

by: Life During Wartime

If I needed money (and I don't), I might try listing in my empty Etsy shops again.  Years ago during the recession Etsy sales actually paid a lot of my bills, but the status of Vintage on the site had more integrity than it does now as I type.  

I'd NEVER use Etsy branded anything on a package, just like I never used eBay branded packaging.  Most of the boxes I re-use came from very small businesses who don't waste money printing their stuff on boxes.  Once I remove the label/packing slip sleeve, it's just a plain box.  Shipping tape is pretty cheap, so if I need to get it free from a venue I don't have my costs where they should be.

And nothing says Green-washed phony baloney like the carbon footprint of shipping supplies to sellers that were specially printed with corporate advertising.  I get my shipping tape at the grocery store because I am already there to buy other stuff.  There are like a dozen options (dispensers or plain rolls, and several brands) available.

by: purpleiris

Just another way to get free advertising. I advertise for my own business, not some crooks ruining even good, honest businesses.

by: The End

Although I have a shop with just a few high priced items people apparently won't buy, I consider myself as NO LONGER Selling Anything on Ertsy.....meant to do that  :o)
They just are no longer relevant.
If I want something, I search in the browser window.
The results are DAZZLING....
And I experimented searching for stuff on Ertsy, and just the plain web.
WEB won Every Time !
 

by: postbuster

I recently took my shop off of vacation.

Throttled again!
I have printed out the charts of orders I received since I started there.
There is a clear pattern, and almost blatant display that they don't care how they abuse sellers.
They can be very serious about wanting your money, but when it comes to appreciation for bringing in business, they give out junk from the clearance section?
So why would I want to put their name on my product?

The flu is also 'free', but it's not like I'm going to rush out to get it.

by: Disgusted

NO.  I do not advertise for someone else unless I get paid to do so.  They fooled me with get listed first with free shipping.  That was not the case.  Unless there are changes I am not planning on listing items on that site.
Etsy and ebay are the same.  They don't care about the sellers.

by: Snapped

How many folks claiming abhorrence to ‘Providing’ free advertising drive a car with their dealer’s logo on the trunk lid, or are wearing/accessorizing visibly designer branded outfits? Licensed (tm) favorite team sportswear? You get the idea. It’s everywhere - everywhen.

Perhaps it’s not really the concept. Could it be then, the advertised?

by: cvsharkey

"First, they give it to you free. Then, when they get you hooked, they put you out on the street to solicit for them & take all your money. Now you're an addict."

Oh, and they'll tell you it' for your own good.

by: SalesBoy

I'm not so embittered that I'd refuse free stuff.  Two or three years ago I got 6 rolls of free eBay shipping tape.  It was free.  It saved me money.  Nuff said.

If the hatred level is so high for the selling platform that even free stuff is considered awful, just delete your account there.

by: Life During Wartime

It's not about being embittered or hating.  Etsy is green-washing this, although there is no way that packaging and mailing ''free'' packing tape doesn't have a carbon footprint.  A larger footprint than when I would buy packing tape at the supermarket during a regular shopping trip.

The all time funniest statement about Etsy's environmental friendliness was a post I read in Forums back in 2007.  A jewelry artisan was saying how wonderful it was for the environment that she could purchase supplies from a handful of different shops from all over the world WITHOUT LEAVING THE ETSY SITE, thus making a smaller carbon footprint.  That's right:  having 5 different sellers from all over the world pack and ship an order to you is greener than buying all your supplies from a single source  and have those supplies mailed to you in one single box.  That's Etsyverse Environmentalism, and this ''free'' packing tape gimmick shows it's still going strong.

by: Whatever

no

by: postbuster

The idea is, that they forcefully were going to charge sellers 12%-15% for advertising without consent.
Since that didn't work, now they want us to advertise for them and it is at a much lower cost to them.

There is a major contradiction on how they wish to operate their business.
Fair.  It is their site.  
And they really don't have to 'care' about their sellers.
But how about some well deserved Respect.

They still throttle, and have recently sent me a message to raise my prices to meet the 'median' going rate. (like a $16 item and they want me to sell it for $40) I don't even sell in the same  category they suggest.  

There is a big detachment from reality, and as someone else has posted before they would assume that recognizing ''going green'' is their contribution to the world.  
So it's an extra 15% charge for me, and some kind of quiche from them, that's their idea of a level playing field all while being environmentally consious.

The most offensive to me, is highlighting black owned shops as some kind of recognition for the suffering of African Americans.

That is exploitation of someone else's affliction for their own gain.
And they don't see the problem in that?
Aren't there other cultures suffering as well?

How about this?
Make an anonymous donation to organizations or communities to help the imbalance of the economy, help the grieving families in some way or another.
Bring awareness to the fact that there are communities of people out there who don't get a fraction of what the suits at Etsy are so privileged to enjoy.
Like meals, better education, Real Justice, Etc.

NOPE, they just want to make a poster for all to see, an announcement, and do very little to nothing to help solve the problem.
Typical of the mindset for Etsy and the Etstapo community they run.
They wouldn't want to offend the shareholders who rely on the very same oppression so they can sit in air conditioning for 1-2 hours, get paid 50-100X a typical salary and call that a hard days work.

Keep your stupid tape.

by: Garcia

Absolutely NOT.

by: The End

Dear postbuster;
"The idea is, that they forcefully were going to charge sellers 12%-15% for advertising without consent.
Since that didn't work,...."
Didn't work ?
Are you saying they've abandoned the Success Penalty Fee ?
'Cause if they ERASED the entire scam / scheme and promise NEVER EVER again to pull anything even REMOTELY like this ever again, I'd be back in a heartbeat.....

by: SBA

I agree with other who say I'm not going to advertise Etsy for free.  I even cut off the carbon footprint advertising at the bottom of the shipping labels.

by: postbuster

Dear The End,

That was the impression I got from one of the threads here stating that etsy was allowing the sellers in the 12% category to opt out sometime in July.

I guess I misunderstood what that meant.  :

As far as IF they were to promise to not try that or any other scheme, I wouldn't hold my breath.
I'm not too sure that I would go back, I just reopened my shop only to get throttled again*, and I am seriously considering closing for good.

*(Store opened, got my 4 order per month limit, no views, visits, favorites, sales immediately after that.  2 of the 4 orders were follow ups from the same customers who were treated well. So only two customers for the month)

There was a very healthy growth trend since I started in 3/2018.
By 2/2019 there was a ''leveling off'' phase and orders trickled from then, until now with exception to 4/2020 (pandemic). The very same concept happened on ebay from 7/2016 to 2/2018.

Somehow, they like to think that playing GAMES is the way to conduct BUSINESS.  I wouldn't buy a house, car, hire a contractor, lawyer, (you get the point) who operates this way.
So why on Earth am I thinking that it's suitable for an online marketplace?

Side Note:
I also read about the idea of using pinterest along with your own webstore, and really liked the concept.
So Thank You, Life During Wartime, and Purple Iris.
If I can become more savvy with this method, I will definitely junk the whole Etsy system.

Would sites like Bigcommerce or Wix be more beneficial?

by: Flying Childers

Instead of all the phony offers, how about if the Etsy creeps stop shadow banning my shops and trying to de-platform me.

I have heard from others that Etsy bots and artificial humans are trolling FB and social media to find sellers who are trashing them.  I definitely believe it because I have a personal FB account with my name on it that is probably "compromised."
Nothing that these people do would surprise me.

by: postbuster

@Flying Childers

Exactly.

Do they really think that so many sellers from across the whole country (and beyond) are making this up?

Ebay proved you to be right!
Of course we're being stalked, only thieves will be this sinister behind your back.

We all can see the signs, and lack of explanations for the dumb gimmicks they try, and it always seems to cost us more money.
When I used to post on the ebay boards, I always noticed the clinical answer of
''I will send this up to the 'management' and find an answer for you''
NONE of the repLies EVER produced an answer or explanation.
But.. it did get you suspended from the boards.
Their little 'popular kids' routine of trying to discredit us, and shame the very thought of abuse by corporate is a spineless move by all the little invertebrates thinking that cheating and laziness is the only way to make  money.

How is it that so, SO many sellers know how to operate business far better than the idiots in their office chairs?
Aren't we, the sellers, the ones who put in the real work?
When did they ever deserve more commission, or shipping fees?

There are two things at work that you NEVER mess with:
Someone's lunch, or their paycheck.

Little cowards, little value as people.